These are the Top 200 industries primed for growth (with risks) using the projected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2021-2026.

​In addition to the CAGR numbers, this data can be sorted and filtered by total industry revenue, number of businesses, growth trajectory and risk score to explore possible industries that could be in need of additional accounting and advisory services due to continued growth yet elevated risk.

To download the information please follow this link where you can submit your information and get the report.

www.accountingtoday.com/top-200-growth-industries-2021-to-2026

Industry 

In very simple terms, a like-kind exchange is a tax-deferred transaction that allows one asset to be swapped with another, similar asset without generating a capital gains tax liability from the sale of the first asset.

Prior to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), the IRS permitted the exchange of certain personal property, intellectual property and intangible property as long as that property was then exchanged for other personal property. The TCJA narrowed the scope of Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 like-kind exchanges to the exchange of real property that is of the same nature and character, even if it differs in grade or quality. It defined real property as "land and improvements to land, unsevered natural products of land, and water and air space superjacent to land."

Primary residences, inventory, corporation common stock and indebtedness or notes are specifically excluded from Section 1031 like-kind exchanges. In addition, exchanges of machinery, equipment, intellectual property, intangible business assets, etc., generally do not qualify as real property exchanges. Exceptions to this rule include certain exchanges of stock in mutual ditch, reservoir or irrigation companies.
The result is that any personal property transferred in a Section 1031 like-kind exchange is treated as if it were bought and sold in separate transactions, and any capital gains on the sale cannot be deferred. Practically speaking, this means every distinct asset included in the exchange must be analyzed separately from every other asset to determine whether it meets this definition.

As might be expected, the rules are complex. A qualifying exchange must adhere to the following rules:
​

• Both properties must be in the United States.
• The taxpayer has 45 days from the date when the sale of the relinquished property closes to identify a potential replacement property and 180 days to acquire that property. The two periods run concurrently, which means the maximum time period for the exchange to be completed is 180 days, not 225 days.
• In an exchange in which the seller does not acquire the new property at the same time he or she relinquishes the old one, sometimes called a delayed exchange, the "seller" of the first property cannot hold the cash until the new property is acquired. A neutral third party, called a qualified intermediary (QI), facilitates the deal. Relatives and any people who have been your agents or employees in the two years preceding the sale of the relinquished property cannot serve as the QI.
• There is no limit to the number of exchanges a taxpayer can make. As long as the laws and regulations are followed, taxpayers can make even sequential like-kind exchanges.
• Federal law defines what constitutes real property for purposes of a like-kind exchange, but state laws mandate how states tax the sale. This may prove important when the sold property is in one state and the purchased property is in another.
• Depending on the properties being exchanged, any previously claimed depreciation may be recaptured and taxed as ordinary income.
• Any cash left over after the property is exchanged may be taxed as partial sales proceeds. This includes monies from a decrease in liabilities or a change in the amount of a mortgage. Usually, such amounts are taxed as capital gains.
• Taxpayers claiming a like-kind exchange must file Form 8824 for the year in which the exchange occurs.
• New legislation is being discussed that may make this strategy less attractive. Anyone considering a like-kind exchange should carefully monitor the developments regarding potential federal tax reform. 

Section 1031 like-kind exchanges can be an excellent way to discharge appreciated property that would generate a high capital gains tax if it were sold. It may also be the best choice in other circumstances, such as if the property would otherwise have been sold at a loss.
This is just of summary of a series of complex provisions. If you think a Section 1031 like-kind exchange is right for you, be sure to get professional advice from the start.

​The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit is available to parents and caregivers who are either working or looking for work and who claim dependents on their tax return. The credit is available to those who care for children under age 13 or a spouse or dependent of any age who is physically or mentally incapable of caring for himself or herself.

The CTC was created in 1997 and has been expanded several times since, most recently in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected how, where and when people work. The incredible disruption this caused affected people's incomes and livelihoods, and the federal government responded by approving pandemic relief legislation that included changes to the child care tax credit.

The latest of these changes were mandated by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which increased the maximum amount of eligible expenses as well as the maximum percentage of eligible expenses for which the credit may be taken. ARPA also modified how the credit is phased out for higher earners. 

Perhaps the most important changes for eligible taxpayers planning to claim this credit for 2021 is that

• (1) the credit is refundable and
• (2) they can receive 50% of their credit in 2021 rather than waiting until after they file their 2021 taxes in 2022.

It is important to note that these changes are available only for 2021 unless Congress extends them.

​Who Can Claim the Credit?

The advance credit is phased out or eliminated completely for taxpayers whose AGI is above $150,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly and qualifying widows or widowers, $112,500 for those who file as head of household, and $75,000 for single filers or married taxpayers filing separately.

The IRS will make the advance payments automatically for July, August, September, October, November and December. Eligible taxpayers do not have to enroll.

With Tax Day officially moved to May 17, 2021, there were several associated deadlines that normally go hand in hand with the individual tax deadline but were not specially addressed.

On March 29 the IRS addressed the most pressing of these with Notice 2021-21, which specified that the following tax related deadlines were also moved to May 17, 2021, to correspond with the individual income tax deadline.

• Contributions to IRAs
• Contributions Health savings accounts
• Unclaimed 2017 refunds

The most item not covered with Notice 2021-21 is First Quarter 2021 Estimated Tax Payments which are currently still due April 15.  Were monitoring this situation and will provide and update should this date also change to May 17.*

For more information, a link to the IRS announcement is here [LINK] along with a downloadable copy of Notice 2021-21 below.

​
* correction from early posting which incorrectly listed stated Q1 2021 Estimated Tax Payments were due May 17.

The six-month free COBRA period is from April through September 2021

According to December survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics,

​Roughly 26.8 million Americans are either unemployed, experiencing reduced pay and work hours or have left the labor market entirely.

• Of the 26.8 million:
  • 10.7 million are officially unemployed,
  • 7.5 million are experiencing cuts to pay and hours,
  • 4.9 million have dropped out of the labor force and
  • 3.7 million are currently misclassified as employed when they’re either unemployed or absent from the labor force.

https://ramlcpa.link/3d56d | ​Journal of Accountancy

While not law just yet, it is expected to be signed by the president as soon as today.

While we know many key details, there are some key details we don't know, especially regarding the PPP Loan Program. The most pressing in my mind are bank participation and when applications will be accepted as some time will be needed to restart the program.
 
Additional details will be forthcoming and the below summary will probably be updated over the coming days for additional details and clarifications.

Below, I summarize the key provisions in the bill:​

 $325 billion in aid for small businesses struggling after nine months of pandemic-induced economic hardships.  
    Allocations           

• $284 billion to the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) for first and second PPP forgivable small business loans and 
• $20 billion to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Grants to businesses in low-income communities. 
• $15 billion in dedicated funding  for shuttered live venues, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions 
• $12 billion will be set aside to help business in low-income and minority communities.   

$120 billion to provide workers receiving unemployment benefits a       

• $300 per week supplement from Dec. 26 until March 14, 2021.       
• This bill also extends the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, with expanded coverage to the self-employed, gig workers, and others in nontraditional employment, and the Pandemic Emergency  Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, which provides additional weeks of federally funded unemployment benefits to individuals who exhaust their regular state benefits. 

Other Provisions           
               
 $25 billion in emergency rental aid and an extension of the national eviction moratorium through Jan. 31, 2021.  
               
 $45 billion in transportation funding, including          

• $16 billion for airlines,          
• $14 billion for transit systems,          
• $10 billion for state highways,         
• $2 billion each for airports and intercity buses, and        
• $1 billion for Amtrak.          

               
$82 billion in funding for colleges and schools, including support for HVAC repair and replacement to mitigate virus transmission, and  
  
$10 billion in child care assistance.          
                           
$22 billion for health-related expenses incurred by state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments.   
               
$13 billion for emergency food assistance, including a 15% increase for six months in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. 
  
$7 billion for broadband expansion.          
               
  The bill also extends the           

• Employee retention tax credit and several expiring tax provisions

​
​   and temporarily allows a             

PPP Round one (1) recipients (PPP1) may apply for another loan of up to $2 million, provided they:             

•  Have 300 or fewer employees.         
•  Have used or will use the full amount of their first PPP loan.       
•  Can show a 25% gross revenue decline in any 2020 quarter compared with the same quarter in 2019.
•      

First-time PPP borrowers will also permitted from the following groups:      

• Businesses with 500 or fewer employees that are eligible for other SBA 7(a) loans.    
• Sole proprietors, independent contractors, and eligible self-employed individuals.    
• Not-for-profits, including churches.         
• Accommodation and food services operations (those with North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes starting with 72) with fewer than 300 employees per physical location.  

PPP loan terms           
               
As with PPP Round 1 (PPP1), the costs eligible for loan forgiveness in PPP Round 2 (PPP2) include payroll, rent, covered mortgage interest, and utilities. 
 
PPP2 also makes (adds) the following potentially forgivable:       

• Covered worker protection and facility modification expenditures, including personal protective equipment, to comply with COVID-19 federal health and safety guidelines.  
• Expenditures to suppliers that are essential at the time of purchase to the recipient’s current operations.  
• Covered operating costs such as software and cloud computing services and accounting needs.   

               
To be eligible for full loan forgiveness, PPP borrowers will have to spend no less than 60% of the funds on payroll over a covered period of either eight (8) or twenty-four (24) weeks — the same parameters PPP1 had when it stopped accepting applications in August.
       
PPP borrowers may receive a loan amount of up to 2.5 times their average monthly payroll costs in the year prior to the loan or the calendar year, the same as with PPP1, but the maximum loan amount has been cut from $10 million in the first round to the previously mentioned $2 million maximum. PPP borrowers with NAICS codes starting with 72 (hotels and restaurants) can get up to 3.5 times their average monthly payroll costs, again subject to a $2 million maximum.
 
​
Simplified application and other terms of note              
               
 The new COVID-19 relief bill also:          

• Creates a simplified forgiveness application process for loans of $150,000 or less. Specifically, a borrower shall receive forgiveness if a borrower signs and submits to the lender a certification that is not more than one page in length, includes a description of the number of employees the borrower was able to retain because of the loan, the estimated total amount of the loan spent on payroll costs, and the total loan amount. The SBA must create the simplified application form within 24 days of the bill’s enactment and may not require additional materials unless necessary to substantiate revenue loss requirements or satisfy relevant statutory or regulatory requirements. Borrowers are required to retain relevant records related to employment for four years and other records for three years, as the SBA may review and audit these loans to check for fraud. 

• Repeals the requirement that PPP borrowers deduct the amount of any EIDL advance from their PPP forgiveness amount. 
• Includes set-asides to support first-time and second-time PPP borrowers with 10 or fewer employees, first-time PPP borrowers that have recently been made eligible, and for loans made by community lenders. 

The bill also specifies that business expenses paid with forgiven PPP loans are tax-deductible. This supersedes IRS guidance that such expenses could not be deducted and brings the policy in line with what the AICPA and hundreds of other business associations have argued was Congress’s intent when it created the original PPP as part of the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, P.L. 116-136 (see the Dec. 3 letter from the AICPA and state societies to congressional leaders). 
               
The COVID-19 relief bill clarifies that “no deduction shall be denied, no tax attribute shall be reduced, and no basis e shall be denied, by reason of the exclusion from gross income provided” by Section 1106 of the CARES Act (which has been redesignated as Section 7A of the Small Business Act). This provision applies to loans under both the original PPP and subsequent PPP loans.

It's a fallacy to think that you achieve absolute security and complete peace of mind, especially with your finances. You can prepare and save huge sums of money only to find out it was enough to cover situation X, but situation Y, the one you hadn't considered, not even close. If the pandemic taught us anything, it's that no industry, business, or our economy is immune from significant disruption given the right circumstances. 

That said, there are steps we can take to better address the inherent risk we face in and our lives and especially with our finances,  The below list comes from an article by Michael Kay and while I've used these points when providing professional advice, the way they're stated here is unlike how they're normally presented by an accountant or financial planner. I especially appreciate items #2, #4.and #6 as they don't require a degree in accounting or finance to see their importance.